In strength training, when we apply a stimulus and allow for recovery, we see it “working,” – we know this because we get stronger and either the weight goes up, or the perceived effort drops.
As we learn to drive when we get our licence, we know it’s “working” when not only do we seem to roll along a little smoother (first manual shifts anyone?), but our mum or dad seems to be a little less tense over there in the passenger seat.
Signs that something we are engaging in is “working” are important. They create a necessary positive feedback loop for us to continue.
In meditation, witnessing, centering, acutely, we can have no goal, because can be no short term desired outcome.
So how do we know it’s working when it is so subtle?
In these practices, we learn to observe.
We are observing bodily experiences, emotions, and thought processes. We are also coming to our “centre,” a place perhaps a little less impacted by social judgements and narratives, thinking about the past or future. This is seen through an acute reduction in activity in the default mode network (DMN).
If, through your meditative practice, you are experiencing a little more joy, more engagement, more love, more expression, more responsiveness, less reactivity, then, it’s likely “working.”
If, through your practice, you are becoming more closed, more seperate, less engaged, more reactive, less expressive and experiencing less joy, then, it could be worth tweaking your practice?
